Moistener and sealer for postage-meter machines



1 Oct 18 927 A. H. PITNl-:Y ET Al.

MOISTENER AND SEALER FOR POSTAGE METER MACHINES Filed March 22. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 192 Oct 18 7 A. H. PITNEY ET AL MOISTENER AND SEALER FOR POSTAGE METER MACHINES Filed March 22, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheev't 2 gag. z

1927 Oct 18 A. H. PITNEY ET AL MOISTENER AND .SEALER FOR POSTAGE METER MACHINES 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 22 Inv enters @adr oct. 18, 1927.

1,646,106 A. H. PITNEY ET AL MoIsTENER AND sEALEE Fon POSTAGE METER MACHINES Filed March 22, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 al'nventom l 192 Oct 8 7 A. H. PITNEY ET AL MOISTENER AND SEALER FOR POSTAGE M ETER MACHINES Filed March 22. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. PIVTNEY, JACOB W. OGDEN, EDWARD G. NORTHROP, AND WALTER H. WHEELER, JR., OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT. ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE .ASSIGN- MENTS, TO PITNEY-BOWES POSTAGE METER COMPANY, 0F STANFORD, CONNECTI- CUT, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MOISTENER AND SEALER FOR POSTAGE-METER MACHINES.

Application tiled March 22, 1924. Serial No. 701,219.

Our invention is a novel improvement in postage meter machines, of the general character shown and described in Letters Patent to Arthur H. Pitney, No. 1,370,668, dated March 8, 1921, reissued December 18, 1923, No. 15,734. l

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel machine whereby pieces of mail can be taken successively, one at a time, from a feed hopper containin a quantity of pieces and fed past printing evices which imprint the metered mail indicia thereon; and then fed past sealing devices whereby the gummed portion of the flaps of the envelopes are moistened, and sealed. The prxilI/Lijing is accomplished by means of a die co rolled by a meter'v which regulates each imprint and automatically locks when a predetermined prepaid number of impressions have been made. The meter4 is preferably detachable from the machine, and constructed substantially as shown and described in the aforesaid patents.

Subsidiary objects of our invention are to provide (1) novel mail separating means; novel tripping means; novel sealing means; and a general novel organization of arts making up the complete machine. ther minor objects of the invention and novel features of construction and novel combinations of parts will be hereinafter described.

lVe will explain the invention with reference to theaccompanying drawing, which illustrate one practical embodiment of the invention and the various novel details of construction and novel combinations of parts therein. An understanding of the machine illustrated will enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the invention, perhaps embodying it in other external forms within the broader aspects of the invention; and We refer to the claims'a pen'ded to the description of the aforesai machine for summaries of the invention, and various novel features of construction and novel combinations of parts for which protection is desired.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the complete machlne'embodying the invention; the operp ative parts of the machine being preferably set at a slight angle to the horizontal plane of the support on which the machine is mounted as indicated in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1 with the envelo e sealing hopper removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the devices for separating the letters from the feed hopper and forwarding them to the post-marking and sealing devices. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detail views of such separating devices. Fig. 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the envelope sealing devices. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the devices shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the devices shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view approximately in the plane of the guard plate 9, Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view approximately on the line 10--10, Fig. 1. Fig. l1 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 11-11, Fig. 3. Fig. 12 is a detail view showing the blank for guard plate 105 before it is folded. Fig. 13 is a detail edge view of the blank, as folded.

The envelope feeding devices.

As shown in the drawings a base plate l, Figs. 1 and 2, is sup orted by frames 2 at an angle of about fteen degrees from the vertical and at the front of this bed plate are mounted the various feed rollers, guides, etc., and at its rear are mounted the driving gearing clutches and tripping devlces.

Mounted on the base plate 1, at the lefthand side, Fig. 1, is a feed hopper preferably consisting of a back plate 3, bottom plate 4, and a tail piece 4b and a side plate 5. The mail to be imprinted and sealed is placed in the hopper with the opening of the envelopes toward the back plate 3, and the flaps underneath.

The envelopes are necessarily fed from the hopper by two continuousl revolving feed sectors, 20 and 20, mounte on a shaft 20". When the sectors are rotated the major 'peripheries of the sectors 2O and 20:A will project through openings in the bottom plate 4 of the hopper (see Figs. 1 and 3) and feed the bottom envelo e inthe hopper out of the hopper and to tlie right, beneath the lower end of plate 5, by reason of the fric- Y tion ofthe faces vof the segments against the lowermost letter. The faces of the segments argesreferably covered with rubber, as indica at 20x Fig. 3, to increase the friction of the surface.

The feed sectors 20 and 20a are so timed with relation to the operation of the other devices of the machine as to advance the letters at such intervals as will ensure a proper ace between the tail of an one letter and the leading end of the next ollowing le er;

such space being of sutlicient length to a low the trlp finger 200, hereinafter. described,

time to act freely. y

By using feed sectors, the feed is rendered intermittent in its action although the sectors are rotated at uniform speed. After a letter is roperl started on lts way by the sectors t e feeding action of the sectors cease and there is nothin tending to feed the next letter out of the opper until, during the next revolution of the sectors thelr faces 20x come into contact with it. The rubber faces 20x of the sectors are preferably corru ted or serrated, in order to increase their friction on the letters to be fed.

To make sure that all the letters in the feed hop er have their forward ends close against the plate 5, so that they will be in position to be e ged by the feed sectors 20 and W when t ey reach the bottom, the piece 4.-u is adapted to tip up the rear end of the ile, sothat the letter will gravitate tolwar` the mouth Aof the hopper. This tail piece 4a (Fig. 1) has a hinged leaf 4, which 1s held in an angular position by the spring 4. The tail piece can be adjusted on the bottom plate 4 to accommodate long or short mail, and maybe held in osition on plate 4 by any suitable means. s shown a stud 4e is secured to the under side of plate 4, and passes through an elongated slot in plate 4; and a flat spring loop 4l is securedto the end of stud 4 by a nut, and the free end of the loop is perforated to engage the stud 4, Fig. 1. The friction between the end of spring 4'i and the bottom of plate 4 is sufficient to hold plate 4a in any position in which it is adjustedv by hand; and the loo spring 4* forms a convenienthandle for a ingiplate 4*.

A s cient s ace 1s left between the bottom plate 4 an the side plate 5 of the hopper to allow letters from the bottom of the pile in the hopper to be passed under plate 5. As the feed sectors 2O and 20'move the botf tom\lretter from the hopper the frictional contact between such letter and the one next above it might cause the superposed letter to also pas through. To revent this we provide a novel separator y which the superposed letter is held back.

known as a wiper separator, which wipes over the surface of the sectors in such a manner that if two envelopes are simultaneously fed forward the wiper will hold the upper one of them back, while the segments advance the other.

As shown, the separator is composed of three rubber faced rollers 100 (Figs. 3, 4 and 11) keyed on a pin 100, which is in turn secured to the`movable member 101-of a pantograph frame. 'The pin 100 passes t rough lugs 101 on the lower part of frame 101; and one of the rollers 100 is arranged between the lugs and one is arranged on each slde of part 101, outside the lugs (see Figures 3 and 11). Spacing collars 100e are placed on pin 100'at each side of the middle roller 100. The se arator is so ositioned thatthe spaced fee sectors 20' an 20a operate 1n the spaces between the rollers 100; wlthout contacting them. vPin 100a has a head 100" on one end, and its other end is threaded to receive a knurled nut 100. when nut 100c is tightened, the rollers, spaclng collars, and the two lugs 101 are clamped together sullicientlyto prevent the rollers or pin being turned by the frictional contact of a passing letter. A knurled head 10()cl pinned on the threaded end of pin 100a provides a convenient means for turning the pln and rollers when it is desired to shift the rollersbring new portions oftheir ubber faces into position to engage the leters.

The fixed member 102 of the pantograph frame 1s secured to the plate 5 of the feed hopper and is connected to the movable part 101 by pairs of links 103, and 104 (Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5). The movable part 101 is urged downwardly by a spring 101s, but its movement is limited-by a stop 102, fixed to part A -102; and an. adjusting screw 103, mounted 1n a cross bar 103" between the links 103. The tension of spring 101l is regulable by a threaded hook 101, and knurled nut 101".

'Ifhe three rubber faced rollers 100 alternating wlth the segments 20 and 20a pre'- vents any friction between the separator and feed when the machine is running idly.

A. sheet metal guard loop 105 is fastened to the part 101 of the frame (Figures 3, 4, 12 and 13) and partly surrounds the rollers 100, leaving only a small pqrtion of their rubber faces exposed on the side next thc feed hopper. This guard 105 is capable of slight adjustment to compensate for the wear of the rubber faces `of the rollers 100; its

fastening screws 105a passing through elongated openings 105x (see Fig. 3:)

The metal guard 105 shields a large part. of the surface of the three rollers 100 and prevents excessive friction between the wiper rollers and a thick letter, as the latter can easily slip on the polished metal of the guard until it is checked by frictional contact with the rollers. The frame in which the wiper rollers are mounted permits them to move in a direction per endicular to the direction of the feed; whicli movement is controlled by spring 101s which urges the wiper rollers toward the feed sect-ors at all times, but will allow letters of varying thicknesses to pass.

T he forwarding rollers.

After passing out of the feed hopper, .the letter is passed between a pair of revolving feed rollers 21"* and 22a; the axis of rotation of roller 21 is fixed; but roller 22a is mounted in a swingable support 22 so that it can yield laterally to accommodate varying thicknesses of letters (see Figs. 1 and 9).

In passing between the rollers 21.a and 2 2, each letter passing through the machine actuates the trip finger 200 controlling the printing die, by pushing the trip finger out of its path; as hereinafter explained.

The rollers 21a and 22a forward the letters to and between a printing couple consisting of an engraved die 23 (Figs. 1, 10, and 15), preferably mounted on the meter, and an impression roller 24 mounted on a continuously revolving yieldable shaft 24x mounted in a spring controlled rocking frame 24" (see Fig. 1), substantially as shown and described in the aforesaid patents. The parts are so constructed and operated that the die 23 makes one revolution for each letter passing between the trip rollers 21n and 22a; said die being controlled by the tripping mechanism hereinafter referred to.

The printing devices and meter.

In the machine shown, the printer 23 is shown as mounted on a spindle 337 in a removable meter (Figs. 14 and 15) which is operably constructed as shown and described in the aforesaid Reissue Patent #15,734. This meter has a base 331 .in which is journaled the spindle 337, on which the printer 23 and roller 23a are mounted. This roller also has a casing 334, in which are mounted ascending and descending registering mechanisms indicated at T and B and locking mechanisms such as described in said patent. Operating means are provided as described in said patent whereby the meter is positioned in the machine the printer carrying the spindle 337. will be actuated once for each piece of mail matter passing through the machine until the amount of prepaid postage for which the meter has been set is exhausted, and then the nieter and the machine will be automatically locked.

An idler roller 23a is loosely mounted on spindle 337 and is driven by frictional contact with the letters which are moved past the die by roller 24a on the shaft 24x of the impression roller 24; and roller V24" being continuously driven will also assist in forwarding the letter after the die 23 has stopped.

The meter 331 has a base adapted to be entered between side flanges 1c on the base 1, which holds it securely in position.

Trip.

The envelope guides.

A plate 6 (Figs. 1, 9 and 10) is secured to the rocking frame 24h, and pierced with openings through which rollers 21 and 21a; and 24 and 24a, and also the trip finger 200 protrude. This plate supports and guides the letter in its passage and prevents the letter being deliected. A guide plate 8 is secured to the rocking frame 22b above the plate 6 to assist in guiding the letters. A plate 7 arranged in a plane parallel with the plane of the bed plate 1. and in line with the back plate 3, of the feed hopper, is arranged to guide the i'ear edge of the moving letter. Another guide plate 9 is arranged above and parallel with guide 6, and is pivoted at one end on a stud 9, and at the other end is secured bya knirled head screw 9 to a bracket 25.

When the meter is removed, the guide 9 can be swung up out of the way, when cleaning the machine. Openings are made in guide 9 for the die 23 and idler 23, and these openings are continued on past the sealer nose so that the fresh imprints will not drag on the guide and smear. The guide 9 is bent down at 9b to guide the envelope into contact with the sealer nose 301.

The sealer.

A water reservoir 300 (Figs', 7 and 8) is secured to the end of a bracket 10 attached to base 1; and is provided with a cover having a fixed part 3003, and a removable part 300", (Fig. `6) to facilitate filling it with water to supply the moistening wick 303.

The sealer nose 301 is a wedge-shaped piece of metal, sharp on the edge first presented to the envelope and becoming thicker toward the opposite sides. This nose is attached to the free end of an arm 302, pivoted at 302b to the bracket 10 below the reservoir 300. A spring 302s holds arm 302 and the sealer nose 301 in their normal position (Fig. 7). A stop 302n secured to bracket 10 arrests arm 302 when'in normal applying moisture to the ap while lposiposition.

The nose 301 is 302, the axis of sai the line of travel o is normally pressed upwar er by a spring passing lett f the nose is ward movement o ad'ustable stop screw 301".

secured in a slo side of the nose 301 is a felt wick 3 projects but slightly l Q 1l the water tank water.

301J wick while the flap is pa returns thel moi the envelope after pa In our machine the e in the Yfeed hopper horizontal positie under sides and, printed a nose 301 velo This wick exten of the nose bac ble guard 304 (Figs. 6 is pivoted at 304 between lugs 301 nose 301, and covers th place where it ente Y sures its reentering ynose 301 should be distance by rs the reser after being fe described, ar of the sealer. felt wick which is in but slightly the reservoir, so th saturated with water, attraction from the reservoir:

passing the nose of the 'se velope iiap 1s slg the sharp edge of itself between the 'of the envelope the partly opene der the nose, an side is dra which a plies moist flap. of the 305, which of the enve the flap -adheres the envelope. Th into a suitable recep acle. As the time necessary for the iiap to perc factor t0 cess: the sealing is has lain for a ti the a being on th of the d in so doin ed across the flap comes 1n conta resses the flap olate throng dy and conte sncient to hold the until it adheres to it.

The novel characteristics of the sealer are the spindle of the printing die 337 1s vdriven ope pivoted at 301 to the arm pressing the flap upward against the end pivot being parallel to velope to start the sealing; and com leting f the mail; and the nose the sealing by the weight of the enve ope itd to en age a self, assisted by the weight of others in the T e upstack.

limited by an Another novel characteristic of the sealer is that the nose 301 can rock away from the t in the under path of the envelope under certain abnormal 03, which conditions; for instance, it sometimes hapielow the face of nose pens that a letter already sealed is placed ds from near the top in the feed hopper of the machine; and in kward to a point opposite such a case when the end of the nose 301 300, where it enters the of the sealer attempts to enter between the flap and body it is prevented from doing so and 7) on account of the flap being sealed; insuch on the case if they nose were rigid, such letter would e wick 303 at the catch on the nose and be stopped; and the voir and infollowing letters would be obstructed yand the reservoir in case the clog up the machine and probably be mutidepressed a considerable lated. To prevent such undesirable clogan abnormal piece of mail. ging the nose is retained in its normal osi- 05 attached to the side of nose tion by spring pressure, strong enoug to holds the flap in close con tact with the meet the ordinary resistance of the assing ssing the nose;

and envelo es, but light enough to yiel under flap to the body of such a normal conditions; and therefore in ssing the nose.

nvelopes are p the event of a sealed letter coming in conlaced` tact with the nose as stated, the nose will proximately rock downward and such sealed letter will th their fla s on the be deflected from the regular letter path and y and imfall under the machine instead of into the e passed over the stackers. The nose will free itself from the That part of the envelope as the nose swings down; and the nose lies on a plane nose will return to its normal position as ve the water level of soon as the sealed letter is shunted out of ck is constantlyl the way, and in time to properly seal the drawn by capillary following letters passing through the ma- V chine.

aler, the en- 1 After passing the sealer, the letters pass son of between a pair of delivering rollers 25 and 301 insinuating 26, the former revolving on a constantly body and Hap. The body driven spindle mounted in a fixed bracket asses over the nose while 25. Roller 26 is driven by friction, and is ilap is forced to pass unmounted on the free end of a sprin congummed trolled swingingarm 11 (Figs. 6 and 8 pivelt wlck 303, oted at 11* on the bracket 10. Rollers 25 ure to the gum on the and 26 are placed far enough away from thc g the nose the under side bed 1 to clear the wet im rints on the letters. ct with a guide The rollers 25 and 26 eed the letters into against the body a stacker 12, as shown in Fig. 1, or other nd the .moistened gum on suitable receptacle.

to the body, thus sealingl The stacker 12 may be a box or hod with e envelope is then dropped three, sides, and is preferably. slidably mounted on a bar 13 attached to the base 1 the moisture on of the machine. The stacker is preferably h the gum is a inclined to better retain and align the letters ered in the sealing prodropped into it.' n

completed after the en- A tray 14 may be mounted on the upright me in the receptacle, frame 2, to conveniently hold mail matter der side the weight pre aratory to printing and sealing same.

nts of the envelope are 'lill flap against the body feed roll 21, impression roller 24, the dee shafts of the feed sectors 20", the llivery roller 2,5, and the clutch by which I separating device herein when the meter is positioned in the machine, are all driven in proper time and manner by gearing and mechanism at the back of the base 1, which gearing and mechanism may be substantially as shown and described in the aforesaid patent, or of any suitable kind and as this gearing and mechanism is not a feature of the present invention, and will be readily understoodby those familiar with the art, and readily supplied by a mechanic without invention we have deemed it unnecessary to illustrate or describe the same in detail.

We `do not herein claim the particular described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 11 to 13 of the drawings, as these form the subject matter of companion divisional application Serial N o. 758,777 filed December 29, 1924.

Neither do we claim herein the particular trip devices described herein and more particularly illustrated 'in Figures 14, 15 and 16 as this forms the subject matter of divisional companion application Serial No. 758,778 filed December 29, 1924.

Neither do we claim herein the particular meter mounting as this is subject matter for a divisional application.

We claim:

l. In a machine of the character specified having means for feeding letters; a Hap moistener having a yieldably mounted nose adapted to open the flap and enter between the flap and the envelope when the flap is lowermost; means on the nose for moistening the flap as the envelolpe is moved thereapast; and means for yie dingly supporting the nose to permit it to yield to shunt a sealed piece of mail out of the letter path.

2. In a machine of the character specified having means for feeding letters; a sealer having a nose adapted to enter between the flap and the envelope when the flap is lowermost; means on the nose for moistening the fiap; and a means for ressing the moistened flap against the enve olpe, with means for yieldin ly supporting tie nose to permit it to yiel to shunt a sealed piece of mail out of the letter path.

3. In a machine of the character specified, having envelope feeding and delivering means; a sealer intermediate the feeding and delivery means, said sealer having a yieldabl mounted nose ada ted to open the Hap an enter between the flap on the-under side of the envelope and moisten the gummed side of the fiap, and means for yieldingly supporting the nose to permit it to yield to shulit a sealed piece of mail out of the letter at p 4. In mechanism of the character specified having means for feedin printing and de-l livering letters; a sealer aving a yieldably mounted nose adapted to open the flap and enter between the flap and the envelope when the Hap is lowermost; a wick on the under side of the nose for moistening the flap; and means for yieldingly supporting the nose topermit it to ield to shunt a sealed piece of mail out of tlie letter path.

5. In mechanism of the character specified having means for feeding printing and delivering letters; a sealer having a nose adapted to enter between the flap and the envelope when the flap is lowermost; a wick on the under side of the nose for moistening the flap; and a finger for pressing the moistened flap against the envelope, with means for yie dingly supporting the nose to permit it to yield and shunt a sealed piece of mail out of the letter path.

6. In a machine of the character specified having envelope feeding devices, printing means and delivery means; a sealer having a nose adapted to enter between the flap on the under side of the envelope and molsten the gummcd side of the flap, and a finger for pressing thel moistened side of the flap against the body of the envelope; with means for yieldingly supporting the noseto permit it to ield and shunt a sealed piece of mail out o the letter path.

A sealer forthe purpose specified com prislng a reservoir; a yieldable nose carrying a wick; a swingable arm carrying said nose; and a member attached to the nose for directing the In a sealer for the purpose specified; a reservoir; a swingable arm, a nose pivoted on said arm; a wick on the under side of said nose; and a pivoted member attached to the nose for directing the wick into the reservoir.

9. In a sealing mechanism of the character specified, a reservoir; means for forwarding a letter downward, a reservoir, a nose adapted to engage the flap; a moistener on the nose adapted to apply pivoted support on which the nose is mounted; a spring for yieldingl holding the nose in operative position; saidl spring permitting movement of the nose by a sealed letter to deflect such letter out of the machine.

l0. In a sealing machanism of the character specified, means for forwarding letters flap downward; a reservoir; a nose adapted to engage the flap; a pivoted support on winch the nose is mounted; a moistening wick on the under side of the nose adapted to apply moisture to the flap; a pivoted member connected with the nose for 'directing the wick into the reservoir; a spring normally holding the nose support in elevated posltion; said spring permitting the movement of the nose by a sealed letter to defleet such letter out of the machine.

Wick into the reservoir.v

envelope past the sealer flapl moisture to the Hap; a

l UU

11. In mechanism of the character specified having means for feeding and delivering letters; a sealer having a yieldable nose adapt-ed to open the flap as the envelope is advanced past the nose, and enter between the Hap and the envelo e; a wick on the nose for mostening the yieldngly supporting the nose to permit 1t ap; and means for I to yield to shunt a sealedvpiece of mail out of the letter path.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we aix our signatures.

ARTHUR H.' PITNEY. JACOB W. OGDEN. EDWARD G. NORTHROP. WALTER H. WHEELER, J n. 

